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Raw
Raw is a unique book. It details, often with brutal candour, the personal battles of cricket star Martin Crowe since his retirement as a player – depression, launching Cricket Max, the joys of fatherhood, the pleasure and problems he had working for Sky TV, marriage to a former Miss Universe, and, most shockingly, discovery that he was suffering from cancer and how he has gone about beating it.
The cricket side of the book is equally fascinating – a candid examination at the state of the game in New Zealand, discussions about new technology and the spirit of cricket, a behind-the-scenes look at the troubled world of the IPL, and Crowe’s selection of the best 100 players ever and dream teams from the major test-playing nations. He finishes with a chapter for the cricket purist: how to score a test match century.
You may never have seen a book with as many dimensions as Raw. It’s bound to be discussed for years.
The cricket side of the book is equally fascinating – a candid examination at the state of the game in New Zealand, discussions about new technology and the spirit of cricket, a behind-the-scenes look at the troubled world of the IPL, and Crowe’s selection of the best 100 players ever and dream teams from the major test-playing nations. He finishes with a chapter for the cricket purist: how to score a test match century.
You may never have seen a book with as many dimensions as Raw. It’s bound to be discussed for years.
- GenresNonfiction
303 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2013
41 people want to read
About the author
Martin Crowe
8 books1 followerMartin David Crowe, MBE, is a former New Zealand cricketer, commentator and author. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1985, and was credited as one of the "best young batsmen in the world." A right-handed batsman, Crowe represented New Zealand from the early 1980s until his retirement in 1996. Through the early part of his career he was also a medium-pace bowler. He captained New Zealand in the early 1990s, and during this period he brought many innovations, such as opening with spin bowlers and utilising pinch hitting batsmen.
Cause of death given as lymphona on Wikipedia.
Cause of death given as lymphona on Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2015
Raw by Martin Crowe is a bit of everything. I enjoyed the first part of the book best as this is about his own personal life, his battle with life really. He was a New Zealand cricketer who was a gifted batsman and as I love to watch cricket I had seen him bat often.
However it is interesting to see the effect it had on him of being called upon to play too early for his country and how being thrust into the limelight and being expected to be a man while really only still a boy had a profound bearing on him. Some players were very supportive of him, some were mean and bullies. Sad to read about in top sportsmen. However Martin Crowe I would sense is a fairly sensitive guy and it may have had more impact on him because of the way he was made.
I also enjoyed reading his thoughts about New Zealand cricket and all the political background to some of the top jobs, there have been times when New Zealand has done very badly in their games and no wonder when you read about some of the background goings on. I tend to believe Martin Crowe's summing up of much of this as he does give credit to some of the guys I respect and know as the 'good guys', so I felt it was a fair picture, even if its one man's perspective.
Martin Crowe is obviously creative and gifted so I guess he may have suffered a bit from the tall poppy syndrome in New Zealand. I found the information of his life after being a player as part of Sky broadcasting team interesting. I am also pleased that he found happiness with his second wife Lorraine. Sadly his battle with cancer has been ongoing, while he had hoped that it was tamed, it has returned. I do not agree entirely with his philosophy around how his sickness was caused, but I know it is one some adhere to.
I was not so much interested in the last part of the book where he picked his all time world and New Zealand cricket teams but I guess for him it was satisfying.
However it is interesting to see the effect it had on him of being called upon to play too early for his country and how being thrust into the limelight and being expected to be a man while really only still a boy had a profound bearing on him. Some players were very supportive of him, some were mean and bullies. Sad to read about in top sportsmen. However Martin Crowe I would sense is a fairly sensitive guy and it may have had more impact on him because of the way he was made.
I also enjoyed reading his thoughts about New Zealand cricket and all the political background to some of the top jobs, there have been times when New Zealand has done very badly in their games and no wonder when you read about some of the background goings on. I tend to believe Martin Crowe's summing up of much of this as he does give credit to some of the guys I respect and know as the 'good guys', so I felt it was a fair picture, even if its one man's perspective.
Martin Crowe is obviously creative and gifted so I guess he may have suffered a bit from the tall poppy syndrome in New Zealand. I found the information of his life after being a player as part of Sky broadcasting team interesting. I am also pleased that he found happiness with his second wife Lorraine. Sadly his battle with cancer has been ongoing, while he had hoped that it was tamed, it has returned. I do not agree entirely with his philosophy around how his sickness was caused, but I know it is one some adhere to.
I was not so much interested in the last part of the book where he picked his all time world and New Zealand cricket teams but I guess for him it was satisfying.
November 17, 2018
Excellent book.
Read
July 30, 2019I think it was a interesting book and gave me an insight into martins life.
October 30, 2024
It seems that recently cricket has been overtaken by far too many deaths - the tragedy of Phillip Hughes, the icon Richie Benaud, Tony Greig taken before he was ready: and the writer of the book being reviewed, Martin Crowe, dead at 53 from lymphoma.
Martin would surely be thought of by many as New Zealand's greatest batsman (although Kane Williamson seems on track to overtake him), and no doubt thought of by all as a difficult, prickly character, which he acknowledges in this book. Crowe began writing this book after his diagnosis, and it lives up to its title: writing this was no doubt an act of catharsis for him, as he lays bare his own failures, as well as exposing those whom he felt had failed him and New Zealand cricket.
The first section of the book is not a biography per se, but Crowe looking back on his life and career and picking apart his attitude to life and sport. Fear was his major driver, and the lack of support shown by those in the cricket hierarchy who dropped him into major teams at extremely young ages did nothing to assuage that emotion. Crowe has some interesting things to say about former teammates and managers, and how they not only affected him emotionally, but how they dragged the team down as well.
In fact he has a fair bit to say on how the structures and people around cricket in New Zealand seem to be continually trying to kill what they claim to love, with some good chapters about the Ross Taylor captaincy affair, John Bracewell's stint as coach, and the machinations of the Board.
Crowe also talks of his time at Fox Sports, and how the machinations within that organisation matched or exceeded those he found within cricket. He writes of all this as therapy, letting go of the bitterness and anger he felt while describing what it was that led him to feel those emotions.
He also writes of his personal life, his relationship with his father and his other loved ones, but not so much about his cricket life, which he had covered in two previous books.
The second section of the book is about cricket, and Martin's views on the game. He describes his venture into tinkering with the game, Cricket Max, his (failed) efforts to implement a sensible DRS system for the game, his views on Stephen Fleming and snapshots of the New Zealand team of the 1980s, perhaps their greatest era. He writes of technique, and his short stint in the hierarchy of an IPL franchise.
The last section contains his lists of best players from the era 1870-1961 and from 1961-present, with his reasons for those choices. He lists the best teams for each country through history and then his all-time best team, which, like all well thought-out exercises such as this would be cause of much argument around the bar of any Cricketer's Arms.
Overall this is an interesting and worthwhile book from an interesting and worthwhile cricketer. The chapter in which he writes of a fantasy test match between the best of the old era vs. the best of the modern era is poignant now after his death: one can almost imagine him on the heavenly sward, the trademark floppy hat and steely glint in the eye, bending over his bat to face a thunderbolt from Trueman.
A sad loss too early.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
Martin would surely be thought of by many as New Zealand's greatest batsman (although Kane Williamson seems on track to overtake him), and no doubt thought of by all as a difficult, prickly character, which he acknowledges in this book. Crowe began writing this book after his diagnosis, and it lives up to its title: writing this was no doubt an act of catharsis for him, as he lays bare his own failures, as well as exposing those whom he felt had failed him and New Zealand cricket.
The first section of the book is not a biography per se, but Crowe looking back on his life and career and picking apart his attitude to life and sport. Fear was his major driver, and the lack of support shown by those in the cricket hierarchy who dropped him into major teams at extremely young ages did nothing to assuage that emotion. Crowe has some interesting things to say about former teammates and managers, and how they not only affected him emotionally, but how they dragged the team down as well.
In fact he has a fair bit to say on how the structures and people around cricket in New Zealand seem to be continually trying to kill what they claim to love, with some good chapters about the Ross Taylor captaincy affair, John Bracewell's stint as coach, and the machinations of the Board.
Crowe also talks of his time at Fox Sports, and how the machinations within that organisation matched or exceeded those he found within cricket. He writes of all this as therapy, letting go of the bitterness and anger he felt while describing what it was that led him to feel those emotions.
He also writes of his personal life, his relationship with his father and his other loved ones, but not so much about his cricket life, which he had covered in two previous books.
The second section of the book is about cricket, and Martin's views on the game. He describes his venture into tinkering with the game, Cricket Max, his (failed) efforts to implement a sensible DRS system for the game, his views on Stephen Fleming and snapshots of the New Zealand team of the 1980s, perhaps their greatest era. He writes of technique, and his short stint in the hierarchy of an IPL franchise.
The last section contains his lists of best players from the era 1870-1961 and from 1961-present, with his reasons for those choices. He lists the best teams for each country through history and then his all-time best team, which, like all well thought-out exercises such as this would be cause of much argument around the bar of any Cricketer's Arms.
Overall this is an interesting and worthwhile book from an interesting and worthwhile cricketer. The chapter in which he writes of a fantasy test match between the best of the old era vs. the best of the modern era is poignant now after his death: one can almost imagine him on the heavenly sward, the trademark floppy hat and steely glint in the eye, bending over his bat to face a thunderbolt from Trueman.
A sad loss too early.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
April 3, 2014
An ok read in parts - some good insights into the game and the struggles he had - first part definitely the better part for me - the second part about his opinions on famous players etc was pretty much skim read for mine.
August 23, 2013
All over the place... A bit like the author. Shame, he was a hero of mine.
October 24, 2015
Maybe try again later.
December 26, 2013
Interesting insights into cancer battle, behind the scenes and state of cricket.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews